The present invention relates to a golf teaching aid.
The key to excelling in the game of golf lies in establishing consistent alignment and a consistent swing. Golf teaching aids are generally intended to break down a golfer's address and swing into its fundamental aspects, namely: body alignment to target, ball position in stance, ball distance from body, hand position in the address, club face square to target, consistent club take away and consistent swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,075, granted to Taylor in 1962, discloses a golf teaching aid which has an elongated base member with detachably connected foot guides. The foot guides are received in holes in the base member. A tee guide is attached to the elongated base member by means of a cord. A ball flight indicator is provided on the elongate base member in the form of a small dial.
United Kingdom Patent application 2,087,241 by Wolland, published in 1982, discloses two elongate members slidable relative to one another. One of the elongate members provides a visual reference with respect to ball positioning; the other of the elongate members provides a visual reference with respect to foot positioning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,048, granted to Welch in 1987, discloses an elongate base having two pivotally connected telescopic arms. The tip of the elongate base serves as an indicator for ball positioning. Foot guides are attached to each of the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,192, granted to Forbes in 1990, discloses a plurality of tubular members which are adapted to nest together for the purpose of storage. The tubular members fasten together by mating a plurality of pins in selected holes. When assembled there is a base member against which a user stands, a guide for the left foot, a guide for the right foot and a locator bar for locating a golf ball.
These golf teaching aids have failed to come into widespread use for a number of reasons. Some of the golf teaching aids restrict movement of the golfer's feet. Some of the golf teaching aids are comparably time consuming to assemble and disassemble. In the design of some of the golf teaching aids utility has been sacrificed in order to maintain a compact design.